Mail-receiver.



No. 873,247. PATENTED mac. 10, 1907.

A. F. KUHL.

" MAIL RECEIVER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 27, 1907.

guvautoz jfif/ZZ 1%! Witness 0 I W I 6min UNITED STATES PATENT omuon.

ALBERT FRANKLIN KUHL, OF VAN WERT, OHIO.

MAIL-RECEIVER.

T 0 all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT FRANKLIN KUnL, a citizen of the United States, residin atV an \Vert, in the county of Van W'ert an State of Ohio, have invented a new and use ful Mail-Receiver, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag catchers and has for its object to provide a basket or receptacle designed for erection at the several stations along the route and adapted to catch and hold the mail bags or sacks as the latter are discharged from a moving train.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a standard having a basket carrying frame pivotally mounted for swinging movement thereon and ca able of being swung laterally on either si e of the standard so that the basketmay be in position to receive the mail bags or sacks discharged from a train traveling in either direction.

A further object is to provide a basket 0 receptacle congnising pivotally united sections movable ownwardly to open position, one of said sections forming a guard to prevent accidental displacement of the mail sack when the opposite section is open.

A i'urtherob'ect is to provide means for locking the haslizet sections in OPCHgPOSltlOII,

and means disposed between said sections and actuated by the impact of the mail bag for releasing the basket sections.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve this class of devices so as to increase. their utility, durability and ellicieney.

Further ob'eets and advantages will appear in the fiillowing description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In he :u-eompauying drawings forming a part of thisspecification: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mail bag catcher'or receiver constructed in :u-mrdanee with my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional top plan view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1'.

$3inilar numerals of reference indicate cor fl s' wmding parts in all of the figures of the drawin s The improved niail bag catcher or receiver forinipg the subject matter of the present invention mrhules an oscillating basket sup- "potliog frame pivolnlly mounted for swing- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 27. 1907. Serial R0- 394.902.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

strengthened by diagonal braces 9 which connect the side walls of the frame with the tram verse bars 7 and 8, as shown.

' Mounted between the side bars of the frame 5 is a receptacle or basket ada ted to receive the mail ags and preferably ormed in two sections 10 and 11 movable laterally and downwardly to open position. A The sections 10 and 11 may be formed of wood, metal or other suitable material but are preferably constructed of wire gauze and are each reinforced and strengthened 1) Y a rectangular frame 12, the adjacent en s of the wire formln r the frames 12 being bent to produce co-inci ent eyes 13 which enga e pivot rods or pins 14 extending transversely across the side bars of the frame 5. The frame sections 10 and 11 are further reinforced and strengthened by parallel braces 15 each having one end thereof pivotally connected with the adjacent rod 14 and its opposite end sev cured to a yoke 16 carried by the frame 12, there being diagonal brace wires or rods 17 extended across the bottom of each frame, as shown. Mounted on the rods 14 are coiled springs 18 which serve. to normally and yieldably maintain the basket sections 10 and 11 in closed osition.

Secured to the ower transverse bar 8 and preferably arranged at ri ht angles to the standard or support 6 is a longitudinally disposed bar for mmg oppositely disposed arms 19 each provided with :1 depending flange or plate 20 adapted to bear against a leaf spring 21 secured to a longitudinal bar 22 mounted at the rear of the support or standard 6 and rigidly secured thereto.

Secured to the upper faces of the arms 19 are casings or housings each having a catch 24 pivotally mounted therein wit-Ii its lower end extended beneath the adjacent arm and pivotally connected through the medium 0 a rod 25 with a bell crank lever 26. The bell crank levers 26 are pivot-ally mounted at 27 in suitable hangers dependin from the longitudinal bar' 19 and are each provided with a relatively long arm .28. the l'reeend of which is normally seated in a loop 29 of a trip rod 30.

The trip rod 30 extends upwardly through the lower transverse brace bar 8 with its upper end disposcdbetwecn the rods 1-. and

pivotally connected with the upper or. free end of the trigs'od 30 is a plate or trigger 31 having its opposite ends provided with trunnions 32 which are journa-led in the adjacent side bars of the basket supporting frame, as

1 shown. The trigger 31 is actuated by the hold the basket open and in position to receive the mail bags or sacks.

.Plvotally connected with thebell crank le vers 26 are locking rods 34 which project or g 3 through sultable guides 00 arried b the ad- V v picent arms 19 and are adaptedto engage oops or eyes 36 secured to the adjacent ends of the longitudinal bar 22 thereby to lock the basket carrying frame on eitherside of the standard and in position to receive the mail when a train is traveling in either direction.

Extending transversely across the frame at the upper end thereof are spaced bars 37 which serve to receive the impact of the basket sections 10 and 1] when the latter are moved to closed position by the action of the coiled springs 18. 4

As a means for locking the. basket sections 111 closed Lposition so as to prevent anunauthorize person from attempting to operate the catcher. there is provided a locking member 38 consisting of a transverse rod provided with depending fingers 3.) adapted to engage the basket sections at the rear of the .frame 12, said lockin member being movable to o erative inoperative position through t 1e medium of a lever 40' having its intermediate portion pivotallymounted at 41 on a post carried by the upper trans erse bar 7 and its outer end extended through a slot or opening 42 in the adjacent sidebar ()1 the basket supporting frame and provided with an eye 43 for pivotal engagement with an operating handle 44, there being a hasp or staple secured to the basket supporting frame at a point adjacent the operating handle at; and adapted to receive a padlock or Sll'Luul fastening devu-cq Arrang d on each side of ili( t-:i1l(l2lr(i 6 at a point sufiicicntly remote frm'u said standards are posts'd?) the upper cndsiof which are provided with laterally extendii'ig arms 46 adapted to receive and support a mail bag in the path of movement of a train so that the mail from the several stations along the route may be delivered to the train without. the necessity of stopping the latter.

Attention is here called to the factthat when one oi the pivoted sections of the basket. or i'ceepta-clo is in open position the mating section thereof forms "8, guard or abutment so as to prevent the mail bags or sacks thrown into the basket from a passing train'from being deposited on the platform at a station. It will also be noted that the basket supporting frame is free. to swing laterally on either side of the support or standard 6 so that the basket sections 10 and llfwill-be in convenient position to receive the mail sacks from a train traveling ineither direction.

Should it be desired to receive mail from a train traveling in the direction of the arrow indicated in Figi 2 of the drawings the basket section 10 is swung downwardly until the yoke 16 of said basket scction catches the hooked terminal of the adjacent catch 24 and in which position said basket section will be locked against closing movement. The frame carr ing the basket sections is then swung laterally on its pivotal points until the tcrmil'uil of the locking rod 34 engages the adjacent loop or eye 36 and in which position the basket carrying-frame may be rigidly combined with the longitudinal bar 22 with the basket section 10 arranged in convenient position toreecivc the mail (lischargcd from the train, as best show u in Fig. 2 of the drawing. As the mail bag is discharged into the receptaclesaid mail bag will strike the plate or trigger Si] and tilt the same in the direction of the scctionlll thus causing the trigger to exert an upward pull on the trip rod 30 and tl'zrough'the medium of the bell crank levers and connecting rods 25 trip thecatches 2- so that the coiled spring 18 is free to move the section 10 to closed position. When the bell crank levers 26 are actuated by the trigger 31 the rods 3 will be withdrawn from the keepers or eyes 36, the springs 21 at the same time forcing the basket ca rrving l'ra'i'nc laterally to a position substantially parallel with tlzc longitudinal bar 22. lewill thus be seen that the basket carrying frame may be swung alternately on'cithcr side of the summit or standard 6 while either basket section may be moved to open position according to the dir ction of travel of the train, the opposite o" eating basket section at the same time so mg .c" a guard to prevent accidental di p am .cnt ofthc mail bags.

i= rdcr to lock the basket .ttttilmls in n "positi n preparatorv to removing the mail from said basket suitable hooks 47 are pi otally mounted at 48 on the casings 23 and adapted to engage the adjacent edge of the basket sections so as to prevent the coiled springs from closing the. sections and cutting i MM.

or otherwise lacerating the hands of the operatnn mail bags or sacks from the terminals of the arms 46 when the fork on-the mail car will engage and detach said mail b i h usual manner. I r

I the frame, means for locking the basket sections in open position, and means operable by the impact of the bag for releasmg the. locking means.

2. A mail bag catcher including a support. a frame mounted for swinging movement on the support, a sectional basket carried. by the frame, means for l'ockingthe basket sections in open position, means for locking'thc frame on either-side of the support, and means disposed between said sectionsand operable by the impact of the bag l or releasing the frame and basket locking means.

3. A mail bag catcher including a support,

a frame pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the support, a sectional basket carried by the frame, means for locking the basket sections in open position, means for alternately locking the frame on each side of the sup ort, and means operable by'tbe impact of t 1e bag for releasing tlfe frame and basket locking means.

4. A mail bag catcher including a support,

a frame pivotally mounted for swinging movement on the support, a sectional basket carried by the frame, means for locking the basket sections in o enposition, means for alternately locking tae frame on each side of the sup ort, and means disposed between the bas et sections and operatively connected with the frame. and basket locking movementon' the support, a basket carried by the frame and comprising mating sections one of which forms a guard when the other is in open position, means for locking one of said. sections in open position, and means operable by the; impact of the. mail bag for releasing the locking means.

6. A mail bag catcher including a support,

'- a. frame pivotally mounted for swinging .movementpn the support, a basket carried by the frame and formed of pi votally united sections one of which forms a guard when the port, a frame pivotally mounted for swinging.

other is in open position, a spring for auto- In order to deliver the mail to a passing; train it is mercl necessary to suspend the {inaticall'y moving the sections to closed pol'raimc on'cach side of thcsupport, inc-ansfor and a trigger operatively connectedwith leasing the same.

a frame nioupted-lor swinging movementon the. support, a sectional basket. carried by the in open position, means [or lockiugthc l'ramc alternatclv on either side-,of-thc support, a plate pivotally mounted on the baskctcarryiugl'ramc. between said sections and operathe impact of the bag [or automaticalt rclcasing the frame and basket. scctions.--

S. A mail bag catcher including a-support, a frame mounted for swinging movcmcnt'on the support, a sectional. basket carried by the altcrnatelr on each side of the support, and

basket and frame locking mcansx. l t

a frame mounted for swinging morcnu-nton the support, a sectional basket carried by the in open position, means for locking the frame on cithcr side of the support, means disposed between the basket sections and operative-1 (-()]\llt(-it(l with the frame and basket lo--king means for releasing the same, and yieldable means for oscillating the basketcarrying frame when the frame locking means is released.

10. A mail bag catcher including a support, a frame mounted for swinging movement, on the support, a sectional basket carried by the frame, arms secured to the frame, casings extending vertically from the arms, locking members mounted in thecasings and adapted to engage the basket sections for locking the same 1n open position, and means operable by the impact of the mail bag and oporatirehv connected with the locking members for aut matically releasing the same.

1]. A mail bag catcher including a support, a frame mounted for swinging movement on the support, a sectional basket car ricd by the frame, arms extcmling'laterally from the frame, casings secured to the. arms, locking members pivotally mounted in the casings and adapted to alternately engage the basket sections, a trigger disposed be.- twecn said sections, and a rod depending from the trigger and operative-l) connect-ed witlrthc locking members for releasing the basket sections; said trigger being operable l by the impact of the rhail bag.

12. A mailbag catcher including a. supsit-ion; nil-ans for alternately locking the.

locking the basket sections in openposition,

the frame and basket locking meanslor re 7. A' mail bag catcher including a support,

frame, means for locking the basket sections.

tivirly connected withthe baskct'and l'ramo'- locking means, said plate being operable by S). A mail bag catcher including a support,

frame, i-neanslor locking the basket. sections frame, means lor locking the basketsections a in open position, mcans for locking the frame means for simultaneously releasing the; 

